Method of cooling product gases of incomplete combustion containing ash and char which pass through a viscous, sticky phase

Claim 1

The method of cooling from an initial high temperature of 1800° F.-3500° F. to a final low temperature a hot synthesis gas containing particles including ash and char which pass through an undesirable viscous, sticky phase on cooling through an intermediate viscous-sticky temperature range of 1000° F.-2000° F. which comprises passing hot synthesis gas containing ash and char at initial high temperature downwardly through a first contacting and cooling zone; passing cooling liquid downwardly as a film on the walls of said first contacting zone and in contact with said downwardly descending synthesis gas thereby cooling said synthesis gas; spraying cooling liquid into said downwardly descending synthesis gas containing particles thereby cooling said particles to a temperature below the said intermediate temperature range of 1000° F.-2000° F. as said synthesis gas is cooled; separating at least a portion of said cooled particles from said gas at the lower terminus of said first contacting zone; collecting at least a portion of said cooling liquid in a body at the lower terminus of said first cooling zone; withdrawing from said body of cooling liquid a portion thereof containing cooled particles; passing said synthesis gas leaving said first contact zone into contact with said body of cooling liquid thereby vaporizing at least a portion of said cooling liquid and forming a mixture of vaporizing cooling liquid and synthesis gas; passing said mixture of vaporizing cooling liquid and synthesis gas through a second cooling zone wherein said synthesis gas is cooled to desired outlet temperature; separating said cooled synthesis gas from said cooling liquid; and recovering said cooled synthesis gas.

Claim 2

The method of cooling from an initial high temperature of 1800° F.-3500° F. to a final low temperature a hot synthesis gas containing particles including ash and char which pass through an undesirable viscous, sticky phase on cooling through an intermediate viscous-sticky temperature range of 1000° F.-2000° F. which comprises passing hot synthesis gas containing ash and char at initial high temperature downwardly through a first contacting and cooling zone; passing cooling liquid downwardly as a film on the walls of said first contacting zone and in contact with said downwardly descending synthesis gas thereby cooling said synthesis gas; spraying cooling liquid into said downwardly descending synthesis gas containing particles thereby cooling said particles to a temperature below the said intermediate temperature range of 1000° F.-2000° F. as said synthesis gas is cooled; separating at least a portion of said cooled particles from said gas at the lower terminus of said first contacting zone; collecting at least a portion of said cooling liquid in a body at the lower terminus of said first cooling zone; withdrawing from said body of cooling liquid a portion thereof containing cooled particles; passing said synthesis gas leaving said first contact zone into contact with said body of cooling liquid thereby vaporizing at least a portion of said cooling liquid and forming a mixture of vaporizing cooling liquid and synthesis gas; passing said mixture of vaporizing cooling liquid and synthesis gas through a second cooling zone wherein said synthesis gas is cooled to desired outlet temperature; separating said cooled synthesis gas from said cooling liquid; and recovering said cooled synthesis gas.

Claim 5

The method of cooling from an initial high temperature of about 1800° F.-3500° F. to a final temperature of about 300° F.-520° F., a hot synthesis gas containing particles including ash and char which pass through an undesirable viscous, sticky phase on cooling through an intermediate viscous-sticky temperature range of 1000° F.-2000° F. which comprises passing hot synthesis gas containing ash and char at initial hot temperature downwardly through a first contacting zone; passing cooling liquid downwardly as a film on the walls of said first contacting zone and in contact with said downwardly descending synthesis gas thereby cooling said synthesis gas; spraying cooling liquid into said downwardly descending synthesis gas containing particles thereby cooling said particles over about 1-5 seconds to below the viscous-sticky temperature of 1000° F.-2000° F. as said synthesis gas is cooled; separating at least a portion of said cooled particles from said gas at the lower terminus of said first contacting zone; collecting said cooling liquid in a body at the lower terminus of said first cooling zone; withdrawing from said body of cooling liquid a portion thereof containing cooled particles; passing said synthesis gas leaving said first contact zone into contact with said body of cooling liquid thereby vaporizing at least a portion of said cooling liquid and forming a mixture of vaporizing cooling liquid and synthesis gas; passing said mixture of vaporizing cooling liquid and synthesis gas through a second cooling zone wherein said synthesis gas is cooled to desired temperature of 300° F.-520° F; separating said cooled synthesis gas from said cooling liquid; and recovering said cooled synthesis gas.

Claim 6

The method of cooling from an initial high temperature of about 1800° F.-3500° F. to a final temperature of about 300° F.-520° F., a hot synthesis gas containing particles including ash and char which pass through an undesirable viscous, sticky phase on cooling through an intermediate viscous-sticky temperature range of 1000° F.-2000° F. which comprises passing hot synthesis gas containing ash and char at initial hot temperature downwardly through a first contacting zone; passing cooling liquid downwardly as a film on the walls of said first contacting zone and in contact with said downwardly descending synthesis gas thereby cooling said synthesis gas; spraying cooling liquid into said downwardly descending synthesis gas containing particles thereby cooling said particles over about 1-5 seconds to below the viscous-sticky temperature of 1000° F.-2000° F. as said synthesis gas is cooled; separating at least a portion of said cooled particles from said gas at the lower terminus of said first contacting zone; collecting said cooling liquid in a body at the lower terminus of said first cooling zone; withdrawing from said body of cooling liquid a portion thereof containing cooled particles; passing said synthesis gas leaving said first contact zone into contact with said body of cooling liquid thereby vaporizing at least a portion of said cooling liquid and forming a mixture of vaporizing cooling liquid and synthesis gas; passing said mixture of vaporizing cooling liquid and synthesis gas through a second cooling zone wherein said synthesis gas is cooled to desired temperature of 300° F.-520° F; separating said cooled synthesis gas from said cooling liquid; and recovering said cooled synthesis gas.